But Diaz, in a phone interview, said he has yet to receive any official word on this plan.

He said he would accept the post if it was given to him by President Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Yes, I would because I'm committed to the development of the area," he told the Inquirer.

Subic and Clark, Diaz said, are premium sites for growth, a magnet for investments and tourism. "We have to make it work," he said.

Diaz, a former Nueva Ecija representative, served as presidential adviser for North Luzon from February 2001 to August 2004. He has since been named adviser for Central Luzon where Subic and Clark are located.

But another Palace source said Diaz was "not being considered" to the SBMA.